Pillowcase closure



Oct. 15, 1940.

l. s. DE wosKlN PILLDWCASE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 19, 4939 INVENTOR IRVIN S. DEWOSKIN BY @214;

ATTORNEY- I Patented Oct. 15, 194i) PILLOWCASE CLOSURE De Woskin, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Erex Non-Allergic Products Company, St Louis,

Application October 19,1939, s riaiNa-so aioo z'olaims. (01. 5 439) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pillowcase closures the peculiarities ofwhich will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

5 The main objects of my invention are to provide means first, to close the'open end of the pillowcase so as to avoid contamination from outside sources, and from feathers and other filling of the pillow itself; second, to maintaina closing strip in its enclosed position adjacent the opening and without obstructing the entrance of the pillow proper when locating it in the pillowcase;

third, to use the expansive tendency of the pillow proper to hold the closure against the end of the pillowcase after the open end has its meeting edges temporarily fastened by a zipper or other fastening device, and thus guard the meeting edges of the pillowcase; fourth, to make such closure substantially impervious to moisture as 40 well as the pillowcase itself; and other objects hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of a pil- 15 low enclosed in a pillowcase having my improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2, an enlarged plan view of one end of the pillowcase of Fig. 1, partly broken away and without the pillow proper;

m) Fig. 3, a detail view of a lengthwise folded fabric strip adapted to be attached by its ends to the side portions or inside seams of the pillowcase;

Fig. 4, an enlarged diagrammatic section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 with the pillow proper 2:5 enclosed, and a side edge view of part of the pillowcase; and

Fig, 5, a yet larger'side edge view of the end of the pillow proper and indicating its expanded engagement of my closure and pillowcase shown 40 in section.

Referring to the drawing the numeral i designates a pillow proper having feathers or other filling enclosed in the tick in the usual manner. Enclosing this pillow proper is a pillowcase Z having at one end the usual end opening between the end edges 3 which are brought together and held by a zipper 4, or other means for temporarily holding said meeting edges as indicated in Fig. 2. Disposed within the pillowcase and adjacent :1) the open end, is a closure consisting of a lengthwise folded fabric strip 5 of such length that it will extend from side edgeto side edge of the pillowcase when disposed therein with its folded edge 6 disposed outwardly and adjacent the ends .15 3 of the pillowcase, and its doubled edges 1 disposed inwardly so as toform an inverted pocket for reception of the adjacent end I of said pillow proper. i r

This folded fabric strip is preferably attached by its doubled en'd edges 8 to both side edge portions of theenclosingpillowcase by stitching its doubled 'end edges to the pillowcase seam 9 at both side edge portions of the pillowcase. By such attachment, the inwardly disposed double edges 1 being unattached directly to the pillowcase; will allow' theiinsertion o'fithepillow proper at either side of the folded strip while its ends are held by their attachment to the side edge seams, or other side edge portions, of the pillowcase.

After the insertion of the pillow proper into the pillow case, the edges 3 of the pillowcase are brought together and temporarily held by the zipper, or other fastening device as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the expansive tendency of the pillow proper previously having its adjacent end inserted in the inverted pocket formed by said closure, will tend to expand outwardly and compress the said strip 5 against the adjacent portions of the pillowcase, and against the inner face of the meeting edges 3 held by said fastener and thus close any slight opening left between said meeting edges, while the backwardly extending portions of the strip are pressed outwardly against the adjacent portions of such end of the pillowcase.

This fabric strip is preferably composed of fabric having its inner surface treated with a suitable gummy or rubber solution torender it air tight, and water tight, similar to the pillowcase as indicated in Fig. 5.

Any slight openings left by the fastening means between the meeting edges 3 of the pillowcase, are thus closed by the contact engagement between the outer end portions of the pillowcase and the fabric strip, under the expansive tendency of the pillow proper disposed therein as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5.

Thus the particles of feathers or other filling of the pillow proper that may be formed by continued use of the pillow, are prevented from working outward past the meeting edges 3 of the pillowcase, and likewise any contamination of the pillow proper from outside sources that might enter between the meeting edges 3 of the pillow case is also avoided.

While the pillowcase has one or both side edge portions joined by the usual seam 9 before mentioned, the double end portions 8 of the lengthwise folded fabric strip, may be otherwise secureiii) tions of the pillowcase when the zipper, or other fastening has brought the end edges of the lowcase together as above described.

Practical demonstration of such a pillowcase and inserted fabric strip, both being practically impervious to the passage of moisture or fine particles or other contamination, has proved its sanitary qualities and has met the approval of doctors and others having occasion to use a sanitary pillow which is subject to absorption of germs and passage of interior particles from inside, or outpilside, of the pillowcase.

In order to avoid soiling the pillowcase 2 in its ordinary use, and consequent laundering of the same, the usual pillow slip may be provided for enclosing the pillowcase so that the slip may be removed and laundered when necessary.

I do not confine myself to the exact construction except by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a pillow proper and an enclosing pillowcase having the end edges of its open end provided with temporary fastening means to hold them together, of a lengthwise folded fabric strip transversely disposed inside the case with both its doubled ends stitched to side edge portions of the case and having the side edges of the strip unconnected to the case and having its folded side edge disposed outwardly and its double side edges disposed inwardly like an inverted pocket, and attached to said case by its ends and adapted to allow insertions in the case of the pillow proper at either side of the i said strip and to allow the adjacent end of the pillow proper to expand outwardly in said pocket and hold said strip closely in contact with adjacent portions of the pillowcase.

2. The combination with a pillow proper and an enclosing pillowcase substantially impervious to air and moisture having the end edges of its open end provided with temporary fastening means to hold them together, of a lengthwise folded fabric strip substantially impervious to air and moisture transversely disposed inside the case with its doubled ends stitched to side edge portions of the case and having the double side edges of the strip free in order to permit insertion of the pillow proper, and then afiord a seal for the closure due to the expansive tendency of the pillow proper.

IEtVIN S. DE WOSKIN. 

